Tag Archives: Australian Historical Saga

My new novel, Fortune’s Son, will be officially launched at Readings Doncaster on the 13th of July. Please come along if you’re in Melbourne!

The winners of the draw for Fortune’s Son are Astrid and Veronica. Congratulations, and thanks to everybody who took part. I received some great suggestions for my historical fiction reading pile! I will email the winners shortly 🙂

To celebrate the release of my new Australian historical saga, Fortune’s Son, I am giving away two copies!

Simply comment on this post with the name of your favourite historical novel. Competition ends on June 8th with a random draw. (Aust & NZ only)

To entice all you good readers to enter, I have posted a lovely, early review (my first!) of Fortune’s Son by Brenda Telford, a Goodreads Top Reviewer. There is also a giveaway happening over on Goodreads, which means multiple chances to win!

” When fourteen year old Luke Tyler called to see his sister Becky where she worked at Sir Henry Abbot’s home, his disgust and horror turned to rage when he saw her being violated by the man himself. The result of Luke defending Becky was fifteen years hard labour on the notorious prison farm in remote Tasmania. Just that quickly, Luke and his family had their lives changed forever…

Four long, hard years later Luke made his escape, blending into the rugged bush and living rough for weeks on end. But when Luke discovered his old mentor lived nearby, his fortunes changed for the better and in the company of Daniel Campbell, his wife Elizabeth and daughter Belle, he knew happiness again. Luke’s beloved dog, a Newfoundland he’d named Bear, was his constant companion – the local wildlife; devils and tigers, kept him sane. But there was trouble ahead…

Escaping to South Africa devastated Luke – leaving everyone and everything he loved – but it was either that or be hanged. The following years found Luke forming great friendships and the work he did – saving the wildlife of Africa from poachers, building a school for the local children – he dedicated to his mentor Daniel. But his thoughts didn’t stray from Belle for long; he missed her always. When shattering news came his way, Luke didn’t hesitate to return to Tasmania. But what would be the outcome? He was aware what the consequences could be – but was he prepared for them?

Fortune’s Son is an intensely emotional, gripping portrayal of the harsh realities of the late 1800s in Australia’s history by Aussie author Jennifer Scoullar. Outstandingly written, in my opinion this is Scoullar’s best work to date. The beautiful portrayal of Tasmania’s remote highlands, the bush settings, the wild animals which were in danger from the local farmers and the arrogance of the landowners over the poor – all done in a way to make the reader feel deeply involved in the story. The vivid scenery of South Africa also benefited from her words. I have no hesitation in highly recommending Fortune’s Son to historical fiction fans. Absolutely love the cover too!

I’m proud to announce the upcoming release of Fortune’s Son, my new Australian historical saga that will be released on May 29th this year! Fortune’s Son has been a long time coming, and as my agent says, it is the book of my heart.

Can one man’s revenge become his redemption?

Young Luke Tyler has everything going for him: brains, looks and a larrikin charm that turns heads. The future looks bright, until he defends his sister from the powerful Sir Henry Abbot. His reward is fifteen years hard labour on a prison farm in Tasmania’s remote highlands.

Luke escapes, finding sanctuary with a local philanthropist and starting a forbidden relationship with his daughter, Belle. But when Luke is betrayed, he must flee or be hanged.

With all seeming lost, Luke sails to South Africa to start afresh. Yet he remains haunted by the past, and by Belle, the woman he can’t forget. When he returns to seek revenge and reclaim his life, his actions will have shattering consequences – for the innocent as well as the guilty.

Set against a backdrop of wild Tasmania, Australian gold and African diamonds, Fortune’s Son is an epic story of betrayal, love and one man’s struggle to triumph over adversity and find his way home.

PRAISE FOR JENNIFER SCOULLAR

‘Lovely lyrical prose. Scoullar, it turns out, is a writer of documentary calibre.’The Australian